Assessment of left ventricular functions in patients with Sjögren's syndrome using tissue Doppler echocardiography.

Aim: In our study, we aimed to evaluate left ventricular function in patients with Sjögren syndrome (SS) using tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE) and myocardial performance index (MPI) in addition to conventional echocardiographic methods.

Methods: We evaluated 50 patients with SS and 48 healthy volunteers with similar demographic characteristics. Systolic and diastolic functions of the left ventricle were analyzed with standard two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography, M-mode echocardiography, pulsed-wave (PW) Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging.

Results: Septal part of the mitral annulus PW TDE showed that systolic myocardial wave (Sm), early diastolic myocardial wave (Em), late diastolic myocardial wave (Am) and Em/Am ratios are significantly lower, and myocardial isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRTm) and MPI values are significantly higher in patients with SS. Lateral site of the mitral annulus PW TDE showed that Em, Sm and Em/Am ratios are significantly lower, and IVRTm and MPI values are significantly higher in patients with SS compared with healthy controls.

Conclusion: In this study, it was shown that both left ventricle systolic and diastolic functions of patients with SS were disturbed.